


Beautiful & Bad

by BL4CKB377Y



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003) - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Angst, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Force Bond (Star Wars), Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Multi, Secret Identity, Sexual Tension, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Smuggling, Soul Bond, Telepathic Bond
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:40:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22015780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BL4CKB377Y/pseuds/BL4CKB377Y
Summary: 'Cuz beauty don't mean shit to meOnly when it's a weapon and deadlyThink you're big and badYou got nothing on me
Relationships: James T. Kirk/Leonard "Bones" McCoy, James T. Kirk/Original Female Character(s), James T. Kirk/Zahra
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	Beautiful & Bad

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CircleUp](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CircleUp/gifts).



> A gift for me and CircleUp. I might continue it depending on how or if the muse strikes...

Jim had never seen anything like it in his life, which was saying something. He was a man who thought he’d seen everything and anything the galaxy could throw at him, but even with everything he’s seen, nothing could have prepared him for it; for _her_ … Sure, Aerial acrobatics weren’t exactly on the cutting edge of performance arts, it was an ancient art after all, but this woman was something else entirely. The way in which she moved, like her body was fluid; the obvious strength and flexibility of her limbs; the absolute fearlessness in her movements; her natural beauty, and her grace… Ok, so, maybe it wasn’t just the acrobatics that had him mesmerized and enthralled. Hell, it seemed from the moment she’d appeared he had been caught in her spell; hypnotized; drawn in like a moth to a flame. There was just--something about her he couldn't describe... Couldn't place... Something he wanted to know more of...

When the applause began around him indicating her set was over, it startled Jim who had to blink out of his trance before he began to clap along. When he looked back at the ‘stage’ it was dark, and the female was gone… He tried to ignore the disappointment he felt at that. Apparently Bones had been trying to get his attention too, because the appearance of the green-skinned twi-lek reminded him he had actual business here.

“He’s ready for you, now,” she announced demurely, then waited for Jim and Len to get up and follow her.

Jargen was a Zeltron, and a powerful one at that. He ran an entire Syndicate called Orion. Orion had dealings in everything, in every system. From spice running, to mining. From arms manufacturing, to slave trafficking. From Coruscant to Tattooine.

He was definitely a villain, there was no mistake about that, and normally Jim avoided dealing with his kind, but when someone like Jargen requested your services personally by name, one did not just say no. At least, not if one didn't have a death wish. The least Jim figured he could do was hear the man out… Best case scenario: maybe they could run some goods, earn some renown, and some creds. Worst case scenario: he turned down the job and went on his merry... looking over his shoulder all the while.

“For the record, Jim, I really don't like this,” the argument came from his second. Leonard McCoy. Former Imperial surgeon turned fellow outcast and Jim's best friend.

“For the tenth time, your disapproval is noted, Bones. But, honestly, what’s the harm in hearing him out?” Jim argued just as they stepped behind a curtain and were greeted by two very burly guards in light armor, armed with a pair of blaster pistols.

“A lot, Jim. A lot of harm,” Bones whispers close to his ear.

“Hello, boys,” Jim says with a smile, ignoring Bones for now.

“Master Jargen asks that you surrender your weapons before seeking an audience,” the twi-lek states.

“But--he’s the one who asked to see me?” Jim protests lightly.

The twi-lek simply smiles and shrugs her shoulders, just as lightly. “He promises they will be returned to you upon your leave.”

“Alright, well that’s good, ‘cause I think we’re leaving now,” Jim says as he turns to exit, but the way is blocked by two more guards.

“I’m afraid, Master Jargen insists, sir. Please?”

“I told you this was a bad idea,” Len whispers as they turn back around.

“Yes, Bones. You can gloat about it back on Enterprise,” Jim whispers back to him as he removes his blaster from his holster at his thigh, and turns it over, along with the knife on his belt. 

"You mean, if we _get_ back to Enterprise..." Bones surrenders his own blaster a moment later.

They are then lead behind another thick curtain, and into an antechamber that is piled with pillows, cushions, tapestries, and hanging lights. It smells very strongly of spice, potent herbs, oils, and incense. A green-skinned man sits in the middle of the circle of cushions, with several scantily clad females of varying races lounging around and over him; massaging his feet, his neck and shoulders, and feeding him by hand.

When he sees Jim and Bones enter, he removes his arms from around a couple of the ladies and claps. “Ah, my friends! Please, come! Come, come, come. Sit. Eat!” He gestures at the cushions around the low table in the center that is loaded with trays of various fruits, cheeses, and meats. Even a few local delicacies that look like grubs in some kind of gravy… That are moving…

“Thank you, Jargen. You’re too kind,” Jim states magnanimously as he takes a seat on one of the low cushions. Bones takes up the seat next to him a little awkwardly, and before long they are each handed a silver platter with a selection of edibles on it, followed by a goblet of some sort of wine.

"I've heard a great many things about you, Mister Kirk. Did you really run the Kronos gauntlet in 15 parsecs?"

"Twelve actually, but--who's counting?" He asks with a shrug.

"Of course, yes." Jargen's smile is wide and pleasant, in stark contrast to the warped and twisted soul that lays within. "You are not like other smugglers, that is what I hear. and that is what I am hoping for… You see I have some--very important cargo I need retrieved from that very system. A man who knows the gauntlet first hand is very useful to me, as is one of discretion as said cargo is of a personal and private nature."

"I don't deal in slaves," Jim states very firmly.

"Of course not, Jim. May I call you Jim?" Jargen doesn't wait for Jim to approve or deny before he continues. "I would never dare to insult your integrity in such a way. While a detailed description is not something I am able to provide, I can assure you, on my honor as the leader of my people, that it is not slaves. Truthfully, it is but mineral in nature, and priceless only to me and few others."

"Would those 'others' happen to be Imps?" Jim asks, to which Jargen merely grins wider and gives Jim a wink. In that he has his answer, meaning if they were caught they risked death or imprisonment by what was left of the broken Empire… Jim nor Bones or anyone on his crew were fans of the Empire, it just put a whole new spin on the job. More danger. They wouldn't be risking just Klingon wrath, but Imperial as well.

"If you take the job, of course, you would be rewarded very handsomely in return," Jargen tries to sweeten the deal.

"How handsome're we talkin' here?" Bones asks.

Jargen snaps and a datapad is presented to Jim, who takes it and wakes up the screen to a score the likes of which neither of them had seen in their lives. It would set them up for years. They might could even retire on it, not that they would. Jim whistles, and Bones scratches his head before they both find themselves locked in an epic stare down with each other. Jim obviously wants to jump on the opportunity, but Bones is hesitant.

"Master Jargen, would it be all right if I talk with my Captain in private for a moment?" Len asks.

"By all means," Jargen agrees as he gestures at a side door that probably leads to a back room for private dances or something more nefarious.

Bones practically shoves Jim inside and closes the door. "Are you outta your goddamn mind?"

"It's a good job, Bones. I don't see--"

"Exactly. You don't see. You don't think. Why would a man like him with all his resources be willing to pay that much to hire a two-bit criminal for a job like this--"

"Watch who you're callin' two bit!"

"--if he wasn't _sure_ said criminals were expendable or otherwise gonna end up dead?"

"You heard him? He knows how good I am--er-- _we_ are." Bones gives him an unamused _look_. "We can do this Bones, I know we can. Come on. Think about it. We go in. Retrieve the cargo, get out, collect a payday that is gonna set us up for the rest of our fucking lives. C'mon." Jime sidles up to Len with that boyishly coy smile of his and lays his 'charm' on thick. "Can you imagine, Len… just the two of us… lounging on a beach on Spira somewhere…"

"Quit playing," Bones crosses his arms and grunts, but doesn't move away as Jim moves even closer into his space, wrapping his arms around Len's waist.

"Sippin' down a couple Spicebrews…" Bones huffs out his nose, gruff demeanor relenting slightly under the full brunt of Jim's charm. "Rubbing lotion on each other… _Naked_..." 

Bones rolls his eyes hard, and his palm covers Jim's face before he shoves him away. "You're incorrigible."

Jim is all shit-eating-grins and mirth. "So, we're doing it, yeah?"

"You're lucky you're so pretty!" Bones says and Jim claps loudly and cheers. "I still say you're outta your goddamn mind."

"As someone once told me, 'who's the greater idiot? The fool or the fool who follows him?'" Jim banters back, cheekily.

"I'm the biggest damn idiot in the galaxy, then, I guess." Jim turns to open the door and Bones follows him out a moment later, still frowning grumpily and crossing his arms.

"Jargen. After some careful consideration, I have decided to... take the job," Jim states, before he realizes that Jargen and his females are all but gone and the only people remaining are the Twi-lek girl from before and a couple guards.

"Master Jargen begs your forgiveness, and understanding, sir, for he had other more pressing business to attend to. He trusted you will have taken the job, yes?"

Jim harrumphs out his nose but smiles politely at the female a moment later. "Yes, though, I had a few questions."

"Master Jargen will be very pleased to hear this," she says, though it sounds like she is quoting a rehearsed script. "Upon your acceptance, he has promised that one of his most trusted agents will meet you at your ship to discuss the operation in full detail. Any questions you have may be answered at that time."

Jim lools thoughtful a moment before he nods in understanding "Thank you."

"Please," she gestures towards the curtain and the exit.

Several moments and disgruntled comments later, Jim and Bones are outside the club, weapons returned as promised, walking through the crowded streets towards the space port. "Well, that's typical," Bones complains.

"Honestly," Jim replies. "That went a whole helluva lot better than I expected. Not nearly as much peacocking and pomp as I thought there was gonna be."

"Yeah, and we all know how much you love a good peacocking," Bones banters back.

Jim lets out a genuine laugh and slugs him playfully on the shoulder. "Good one, Bones."

They stop to order a few supplies before making their way back to the docking bay, where Enterprise is waiting… Along with several supply crates. That isn't surprising. What is surprising, is the Ubesian hunter sitting on top of one of the boxes, looking bored in spite of the blaster being aimed at him by Scotty.

"Captain! There you are!" The man calls out in a heavy accent

"Sitrep, Mr. Scott," Jim says as he observes the two.

"I caught this _bounty hunter_ tryin' to board the ship and now he's claiming he was sent here."

Jim places his hand on the man's shoulder. "At ease, Mr. Scott. I'll take it from here. Why don't you go make sure our girl's ready for take off and ask Mr. Sulu to start preflight checks. I'd like to get us in the air as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir," the man puts his blaster away and moves to one of the crates to input the code to get it hovering so he can move it onto the ship.

Jim turns to their hunter companion, overcome by an unusual sensation. He had felt something like it back at Jargen's club, watching that dancer and he is surprised to be feeling it again. Here. He can't place it. He's never felt it before then, and again now. "Well," he says expectantly, choosing to ignore it.

The Ubesian stands up and crosses his arms over his chest before he starts speaking in his native language. Jim happens to be fluent in Ubese, along with a dozen other galactic languages besides Standard. "He says his name is Gerouth. He's Jargen's agent," Jim translates for Bones, then looks at Gerouth to speak to him directly. "I'll admit I don't completely understand why Jargen sent you. We could have gotten a briefing at the club." Gerouth starts to speak again and Jim listens intently. "He says he's here for insurance. Jargen's protecting his investment. Gerouth has vital skills and information we're going to need if we wish to succeed…

"Look, that's all well and good, but I don't like having people on my ship I don't know or trust. How do I know you won't just stab us all in the back once we get the bounty?" Gerouth's tone is hard to read through the distortion of his helmet, but even so he sounds annoyed as he speaks. "That's very admirable too, but I'm afraid the word of some random Ubesian Bounty Hunter doesn't mean much to me. What assurance do I have that this isn't some underhanded tactic to fuck us over?... No, I'm not questioning Jargen's honour--or yours--your putting words into my mouth--no, don't call him, just--I just wanna know what are you getting out of this?"

There is silence as Jim and Gerouth stare each other down for a while, both their hands hovering over the blasters on their belts. Admittedly, Gerouth's stare is a little more unnerving because Jim can't see his eyes, but Jim has faced down a mud horn and lived to tell the tale. No Ubesian bounty hunter was gonna make him flinch.

Finally, after a tense couple minutes, the Ubesian begins to speak again, and what he says seems to satisfy whatever uncertainty Jim had of his motives. The blonde nods his head, then extends his hand toward Gerouth to shake. "That works for me… Welcome aboard." The alien and Jim clasp wrists and shake. Bones stares kind of flabbergasted at Jim, waiting for him to translate or explain what just happened, but Jim never does. He just guides Gerouth up the ramp of the ship like old friends. "We're a small crew, so you'll be sharing a bunk with Scotty, I hope that's all right?"

Jim slaps Bones on the shoulder as they pass, and gives him a smile and a wink, as if he hadn't just almost started a blaster fight in the middle of their docking bay. "C'mon, Bones! Time is money! Tick tock!" He says as he taps his non-existent wristwatch.

Bones harrumphs in frustration, tosses his arms up, and curses under his breath as he follows Jim up the ramp and inside. He has a bad feeling about this.


End file.
